A dark mafia cat burglar romance novel by #1 International Bestselling Author Nikita Slater. When she runs, he will hunt. Protector, stalker, lover… she is his obsession. From the moment Roman Valdez set eyes on Katie, he knew she was the one for him. Beautiful, carefree and captivating, but at thirteen she was too young. So, he waited, watched and protected. Followed her through the years until she was ready to be with him. Only something happened to his beloved along the way. His perfect princess grew dark and distant. Instead of embracing his love, she runs away from it, convinced that she’s not worthy of all he offers – love, protection and happiness. Now, he will set his demons free. He will rise up from the ashes of his father to inherit the Valdez cartel. He will burn her world and bathe in the blood of her enemies until she is free to belong to him. He will take his woman and his birthright and crush anyone who gets in his way. But will he also crush the woman he loves along the way? Please note: this book touches on the theme of self-harm, which some readers may find disturbing. Thieving Hearts is the second book in the Driven Hearts dark romance series. This book is standalone. Guaranteed HEA, NO cheating, NO cliffhanger. Sizzling dark mafia romance. Read at your own risk! Keywords: possessive alpha male, dark romance, jealous possessive, gothic romance, seductive romance, alpha hero, antihero, antihero romance, suffering heroine, obsessive hero, abduction to love, cartel romance, passionate lovers, tortured heroine, tragic love, sexually romantic books, romantic suspense, capture fantasy, standalone, thriller, crime, mafia romance, mob boss, kidnap, happily ever after, love books, love stories, contemporary mafia romance, enemies to lovers, guaranteed HEA, no cliffhangers, possessive alpha romance, bad boy, age gap, no cheating, kidnapping, revenge, stalker, protective, steamy, abused heroine, dominance submission, caged, marriage, captive romance, cat burglar, art thief, enforcer, self harm

Reproduction of the original: Heart's Desire by Emerson Hough

A standalone dark mafia romance novel by International Bestselling Author, Nikita Slater. When she runs, he will hunt. Protector, stalker, lover... she is his obsession. From the moment Roman Valdez set eyes on Katie, he knew she was the one for him. Beautiful, carefree and captivating, but at thirteen she was too young. So, he waited, watched and protected. Followed her through the years until she was ready to be with him. Only something happened to his beloved along the way. His perfect princess grew dark and distant. Instead of embracing his love, she runs away from it, convinced that she's not worthy of all he offers - love, protection and happiness. Now, he will set his demons free. He will rise up from the ashes of his father to inherit the Valdez cartel. He will burn her world and bathe in the blood of her enemies until she is free to belong to him. He will take his woman and his birthright and crush anyone that gets in his way. But will he crush the woman he loves along the way...

"A genre-bending, heart-pounding middle-grade romp into a potential future. . . . Perry's layered approach makes for a masterpiece that feels both familiar yet wholly new." --Shelf Awareness, STARRED REVIEW "This takes getting lost in a book to a whole new level. I loved it!" --James Riley, New York Times-bestselling author of the Story Thieves series "Once you start this book, you truly can't stop. An adventure full of cheeky charm and delightful whimsy." --Marie Lu, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Skyhunter "A fast, fun, furiously inventive, and frequently frightful read." --Geoff Rodkey, New York Times-bestselling author of the Tapper Twins series and We're Not from Here This clever, fast-paced adventure is a mix of the Story Thieves series and Ready Player One! Oliver Nelson has a terrible secret-he's a thief. But he only steals books from the Garden Grove Library that are old, musty, brittle, or incomplete, like his favorite book, The Timekeeper's Children. No one reads anymore, and surely no one will miss them, right? Wrong. The Pribbles are famous inventors of the most popular toy in the world, alternate-reality goggles. They are also book collectors who are searching for The Timekeeper's Children, so the Pribbles hatch a plan. They invite Oliver, the last person to have checked it out, to their mansion and use special software from their goggles to steal the last remaining copy of the book--from inside Oliver's mind. Now, Oliver is thrust into the middle of the story and must help the main characters steal pieces scattered around the fictional world of Dulum to build a magical clock that can turn back time before the evil sorcerer Sigil takes over. They'll encounter hideous giants, bloodsucking bats, vicious eels, a Nasty Rodent Eater, a gang of wicked children, and a strange, dark figure that follows them from chapter to chapter, all the while with the Pribbles in pursuit. Can Oliver save Dulum before Sigil destroys everything? And will he finish The Timekeeper's Children before the Pribbles steal it from his mind?

Seduce the teacher. Meet the cousin. Make a deal. Steal the painting. Andrea Anderson has no clue of the thoughts churning around in the dark and dangerous ex-con's head as he enters her classroom. In fact, she's momentarily lost for words. Not in her entire teaching career has she had a student who looked quite like Stu Cross. A widow at just twenty-eight, love is something Andie hasn't considered a part of her life for a very long time. However, when lingering touches turn to whispered words and hot, searching stares, she begins to wonder if maybe she should take a leap of faith. But Stu is in her class for a reason, and it has nothing to do with love. He's there to burrow his way into her life and repay a debt, otherwise his family will suffer. Andie is the first person to show him true kindness since he left prison, and though he doesn't want to mislead her, he doesn't have another choice. Before long, Stu can't tell whether or not he's acting anymore, and his feelings for Andie could throw all of his carefully crafted plans into complete and utter disarray. ***Thief of Hearts is a contemporary romance and can be read as a complete standalone.***

Heart's Desire is a little settlement hidden away in a corner of the West "where men have gone to live at peace--without law and without women." The inhabitants dozed in the sunshine, smoked, drank, gambled a little, toiled fitfully, fought occasionally, and dreamed a good deal. Then the railroad came, and the dreams were gone. Along the railroad came Constance and the old vexations that troubled Eden and have troubled every assemblage of men ever since. It is a picture of rough Western life, with clever character delineations -- Book jacket